bloom



(No Model.)

B. BLOOM.

SEAL LOCK. No. 320,213. Patented June 16, 1885.

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NITED STATES ATENT rFrcE.

ELIZA BLOOM, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

SEAL-LOCK.

ijPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.32 0,213, dated June16, 1885.

Application filed January 20. 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIZA BLOOM, a citizen of the United States,residing in New York city, New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Seal-Locks, of which I declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description, so that any person skilled in theart to which it appertains can make, construct, and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

The object of the presentinvention is to provide a more convenient andcertain sealing device than those at present in use; and it consists ofthe devices hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 a sideview, of my improved sealing device, a part being broken away. Figs. 3and 4 are separate views of details, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionalview of a part of the device.

The improved sealing device consists of an open ring or a staple ofmetal, A, of any desired shape, made of two or more pieces of metalsecurely riveted together. .The legs of this open ring or staple,between which the opening or break occurs, have two slots, B B, of suchsize and so arranged that the strip F, hereinafter described, can bepushed through one slot across the opening in the ring to and throughthe other slot, thereby closing the gap in the ring or staple. This isclearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5 of the drawings. These slots B B runthrough chambers O 0, (shown in Figs. 2 and 5,) preferably one in eachleg of the staple A, in which chambers are placed the locking devices DD. These locking devices are shown in all the figures of the drawings,particularly in Fig. 4. As there shown they consist of a steel wirehaving resistance enough for a springrecurved onitself, the armscompleting a circle or rectangle, or any other convenient shape adaptedto the shape of the chambers O G and ending in two points that pass eachother for a little distance. These points are beveled, as shown in thedrawings, both points on the same side, the plane of the bevel being atright angles to a (No model.)

linejoining the centers of the two slots B B. This beveling may beaccomplished either by cutting or bending the points, or both. Any flatand thin instrument-such as the strip Fcan be forced between thespring-points if it be forced against the points on the side and in thedirection of the bevel, the effect of such pressure being to force thepoints apart, but the same fiat and thin instrument it will be foundimpossible to force between the points by pressure from any otherdirection. This locking-spring D is placed in the chamber 0,

as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. When so placed its beveled points crossthe slot B at about the center of that slot and prevent the passagethrough the slot of any instrument that strikes the points and pressesupon them in the direction of its movement through the slot-that is, atright angles to the plane of the bevel of the spring-points themselves.The points, however, yield to any thin instrument pressing against themon their beveled sides and pressing in the direction of the bevel-thatis, substantially at right angles to the direction of motion of theinstrument through the slot.

Any concealed catching device may be used in place of the spring-pointsD, which will normally extend across the slot B, barring passage throughit, and will resist pressure from the outside in the direction of thepassage of the slot, but which is constructed to be pushed out of itsobstructing position by the side pressure of the beveled point of thestrip F as the latter is pushed into the slot on the beveled side of thecatch. A spring-latch placed with its bevel on the same side as is thebevel of the points D would be an instance of such a catching device.

F is a thin strip of metal of the general shape shown in Fig. 1. Itshould be of such size as to pass readily through the slots B B, exceptwhen the locking springs or catches are in place, and then to strikeagainst such springs or catches. The strip should also have one or bothends beveled, the bevel being on both or on one side of the end. Thestrip should also have a slot, G, cut lengthwise of the strip throughits center and wide enough to permit the crossed points of the spring Dor the catch to snap into it and assume the unstrained ob- ICC)structing position. This slot should preferably be long enough to reachfrom one looking-spring D to the other in the position shown in Fig. 1.The ends of the slot or slots in any case should be cut square and notbeveled. I prefer to put a locking device in both of the slots 13 B, asshown in Fig.1, in which case the slot in the sealing-strip F ispreferably made long enough to reach from one locking device to theother, so that both locking devices may operate in it. There may,however, be two slots instead of one in the sealing-strip, as indicatedby the dotted lines a a in Fig. 1, the strip between these lines beingsolid, provided one or both slots on their inner ends are beveled, as ata, or otherwise arranged so that the first slot escapes the first catch,as by being out of line with it; or the locking device in one slot, B,may be omitted entirely, in which case the strip would have a short slotsquare at both ends, as indicated at a in Fig. 1, at one end of thestrip F. These slots, indicated by the bounding lines a a" in Fig. 1,are shown of alength sufficient to cause them to project a littleoutside of the leg ofthe staple A merely for convenience in cutting thesealing-strip in unsealing. The slots B B, in which are. placed thelocking devices, should be'no larger than just sufficient to admit thestrip F.

The operation of my device as applied, for instance, to a freight-car,is as follows: The door of the freight-car having been closed, and thehasp having been placed over the fixed staple in the usual way, one legof the staple or open ring A is passed through the projecting part ofthe staple of the car exactly as if it were the ring of a padlock andthe hasp of the door was to be locked onto the fixed staple of the car.The sealing-strip F is then introduced from the outside into theslot Bandpushed into it on the beveled side of the springpoints D. The forwardend of the strip passes by the points on their beveled or curved side;but the bevel of the strip gradually forces the strip against thepoints, which are thus forced apart, and the strip passes between them,the points snapping together again through the slot G. As the strip ispushed farther on it enters the other slot B in the other leg of thestaple A, where the same operation takes place, the beveled stripforcing the points apart and passing between them until the points reachthe slot G, into which they snap into their unstrained position. Theparts are then in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position itwill be found impossible to remove the slotted sealing-strip F, thecrossed springpoints D D being merely jammed sidewise against the wallsof the chambers O O by the direct pressure of the strip F at the squareends of the slot G. The strip F is thus securely locked in place, andcan only be removed by breaking some of the parts. It is therefore aneffectual and convenient sealing device.

The strips F, I design to make of thin sheet metal, out out by a die,and to stamp on them any desired seal, and also, if desired, the numberof the ear, or of the load, or the name of consignor and consignee, orthe point of departure and destination, the weight, 8210. When the earis to be unsealed, the strip F has merely to be cut across the slot orslots with shears, When the ends will pull right out. The mutilatedstrip may then be kept as a'rccord or for any purpose desired.

My improved sealing device merely seals the hasp of the door on thefixed staple, as'a padlock would look it on, and is in that respect likethe sealing devices at present in use. It is superior in its simplicityof manipulation and its certainty, and allows of stampeddirections,'&c., on the sealing device of the car. It may be applied asa sealing device in any case where the unsealing would require themutilation of the strip F, as in sealing the escutcheon or plate of alook over the key-hole, where chambered and slottedknobs or projectionsof the metal door-plate on each side of the key-hole would constitutethe legs of the staple A, and the hinged escutcheon or plate coveringthe key-hole would through it, the strip F when looked in position thuspreventing the removal of the plate or escutoheon from over the key-holewithout the mutilation of the strip.

I am aware that various sealing devices have been used employingconcealed catches, and among them the devices shown in Letters Patent ofthe United States No. 153,819, granted August 4, 1874, to Foote, andRandall, and Nos. 88,959 and. 206,238, granted April 13, 1869, and July23, 1878, respectively, to G. H. Hopkins, and I do not claim anythingtherein shown.

My improved device employing the slotted sealing-strip F avoidsthe useof heads or shoulders, and secures-the sealing-strip from movement ineither direction by the direct action of the concealed catches upon thesealing-strip itself without intervening devices.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A seal-lock consisting of a chambered and slotted staple, A, beveledspringpoints D, and a beveled and slotted sealing-strip, F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ELIZA BLOOM.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. LYDEoKnR, 4 AMASA R. ANGELL.

